Guild Wars 2

More specifically I’m talking about the new grenth hood and mini pets that are supposed to be for the Wintersday. And countless items before that, armor/weapon skins too.

For once, wouldn’t it be nice it we could obtain those items in -game? Via achievements, special quests that lead you to them, etc? It would feel more special, more rewarding. It would feel more like the original GW.

Now you can just buy them and to be honest that doesn’t feel very special or rewarding. We simply need more in-game events that will reward players for playing, not reward solely because we can whip out our wallets and spend on every new item. I mean if you want something, it feels like a race against time, because the gem prices are going up more and more each day, and I don’t think I can keep up anymore.

Don’t worry. For grinding out Wintersday achievements you will get a backskin that you will never use because it’s a ‘one time only’. No real money required

Leamas.5803:

The short of it is that in-game rewards do not get people to buy gems. ANet needs money to build content, that money comes largely from the gem store.

Except the money they make goes into the development of other games.

The short of it is that in-game rewards do not get people to buy gems. ANet needs money to build content, that money comes largely from the gem store.

Why?
Because ArenaNet can’t survive on air.

You are also ignoring the fact that we have gotten quite a bit of stuff by playing the game the last months (more or less every single living Story chapter have rewarded us with either a mini or a back-pack skin.

If you don’t feel “rewarded” enough for buying something then simply don’t buy it.
Or if you feel like you really “need” it, play the game, get gold, trade gold for gems and buy it that way.

Because they need to feed their families.

Crovax.7854:

Don’t worry. For grinding out Wintersday achievements you will get a backskin that you will never use because it’s a ‘one time only’. No real money required

Leamas.5803:

The short of it is that in-game rewards do not get people to buy gems. ANet needs money to build content, that money comes largely from the gem store.

Except the money they make goes into the development of other games.

In part, for sure.

Leamas.5803:

The short of it is that in-game rewards do not get people to buy gems. ANet needs money to build content, that money comes largely from the gem store.

Except Ncsoft uses a large amount of the money GW2 generates to develop Wildstar and other games.

Malediktus.9250:

Except Ncsoft uses a large amount of the money GW2 generates to develop Wildstar and other games.

Just like how NCSoft used large amount of money from Lineage 1 & 2 and Aion to develop Guild Wars 2.

Just because all of the money doesn’t go directly to ArenaNet doesn’t mean it don’t matter.
If ArenaNet stops generating enough profit, why would NCSoft bother putting more money into it?

Instead of high quality expansions once a year to fund the game they have decided on low quality rapid fire content to get people into the gem store. So until people stop buying it this is what we are stuck with.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Instead of high quality expansions once a year to fund the game they have decided on low quality rapid fire content to get people into the gem store. So until people stop buying it this is what we are stuck with.

And how would you suggest one expansion per year would pay the salaries of 300+ employees and other costs involved in running an MMO?

lordkrall.7241:

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Instead of high quality expansions once a year to fund the game they have decided on low quality rapid fire content to get people into the gem store. So until people stop buying it this is what we are stuck with.

And how would you suggest one expansion per year would pay the salaries of 300+ employees and other costs involved in running an MMO?

Oh I don’t know. How did they do it in GW1 for years?

Crovax.7854:

Oh I don’t know. How did they do it in GW1 for years?

They didn’t even have close to the same costs back then as they have now.
They have at least triple the number of employees, they have a completely different server-system that require way more and more advanced hardware.

They also had an in-game store in GW1, which people seem to forget for some reason.

i typed a relevant post and this forum ate it instead of posting, now i cant be bothered to type it again.

It is kind of embarrassing that the community receives regular updates, fixes, and additions, while not paying any regular fees, and has to have it explained to them why they sell items in a gem store.

Get used to it. With the new gold influx from PvPers, you’ll see gem prices accelerate even faster than ever!

As ever, buy gems now™ as they are only going up and up!
https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/player-vs-player-rewards-roadmap/

Also every ls achievement- except this fractal one- has had some kind of cosmetic reward or a mini.. that is a reward for in game every 2 weeks some have had more than 1 thing you can earn. I think it has been a fairly good mix although I would like to see a new armor set that can be earned in game through a new dungeon or something.

jazzllanna.1278:

Also every ls achievement- except this fractal one- has had some kind of cosmetic reward or a mini.. that is a reward for in game every 2 weeks some have had more than 1 thing you can earn. I think it has been a fairly good mix although I would like to see a new armor set that can be earned in game through a new dungeon or something.

Convert gold you “earn” in a dungeon into “gems” and then “buy” the skin with those.

• Disclaimer. You don’t earn anything, gems don’t exist, buying is a subjective term and the skin is virtual cosmetics.

Malediktus.9250:

Leamas.5803:

The short of it is that in-game rewards do not get people to buy gems. ANet needs money to build content, that money comes largely from the gem store.

Except Ncsoft uses a large amount of the money GW2 generates to develop Wildstar and other games.

And if everything goes well on both sides money from Wildstar will go to develop a GW2 expansion at some point in the future. Either enabling Anet to hire more staff to develop it, or to pay their existing staff to work on it instead of Living Story releases and gem store items that currently bring money in.

That’s what a publishing company does. It’s the same for all games, movies, books etc. The publisher pays out an advance so the developers/writers etc. can afford to live while they work on something that is not yet making any money (and may not do so for many years) and then once their product is released they pay that money back to the publisher, plus a bit extra (usually in the form of a % of the profits) and it’s used to develop more new things.

It’s like Kickstarter, but with companies instead of randoms online.

lordkrall.7241:

Crovax.7854:

Oh I don’t know. How did they do it in GW1 for years?

They didn’t even have close to the same costs back then as they have now.
They have at least triple the number of employees, they have a completely different server-system that require way more and more advanced hardware.

They also had an in-game store in GW1, which people seem to forget for some reason.

GW1 is sold 7 mill times, that’s already 2.4X more then GW2.
also, all the GW1 items are fair and unlock, GW2 items are overpriced and way to much based on just one character.
and even if we simply ignore all of that, they have, like you said, 300+ employees.
that’s at least 3X more then when they were making factions, so making an expansion would logically be made 3X faster.

sorudo.9054:

lordkrall.7241:

Crovax.7854:

Oh I don’t know. How did they do it in GW1 for years?

They didn’t even have close to the same costs back then as they have now.
They have at least triple the number of employees, they have a completely different server-system that require way more and more advanced hardware.

They also had an in-game store in GW1, which people seem to forget for some reason.

GW1 is sold 7 mill times, that’s already 2.4X more then GW2.
also, all the GW1 items are fair and unlock, GW2 items are overpriced and way to much based on just one character.
and even if we simply ignore all of that, they have, like you said, 300+ employees.
that’s at least 3X more then when they were making factions, so making an expansion would logically be made 3X faster.

Doesn’t matter how much GW1 outsold GW2 in box sales what matters is income. In the 29 quarters NCSOFT reported GW income, 2Q2005 to 2Q2012, it made in total 199,718 million KrW. GW2 brought in more than that in it’s first 7 months, 201,236 million KrW. In the next six months it brought in an additional 53,370 million KrW.

So in a little more than a year GW2 has earned 25% more income than the 7+ years of GW. I would say that the model is working. It doesn’t prevent them from doing an expansion either, but it will likely be after the China release.

Behellagh.1468:

sorudo.9054:

lordkrall.7241:

Crovax.7854:

Oh I don’t know. How did they do it in GW1 for years?

They didn’t even have close to the same costs back then as they have now.
They have at least triple the number of employees, they have a completely different server-system that require way more and more advanced hardware.

They also had an in-game store in GW1, which people seem to forget for some reason.

GW1 is sold 7 mill times, that’s already 2.4X more then GW2.
also, all the GW1 items are fair and unlock, GW2 items are overpriced and way to much based on just one character.
and even if we simply ignore all of that, they have, like you said, 300+ employees.
that’s at least 3X more then when they were making factions, so making an expansion would logically be made 3X faster.

Doesn’t matter how much GW1 outsold GW2 in box sales what matters is income. In the 29 quarters NCSOFT reported GW income, 2Q2005 to 2Q2012, it made in total 199,718 million KrW. GW2 brought in more than that in it’s first 7 months, 201,236 million KrW. In the next six months it brought in an additional 53,370 million KrW.

So in a little more than a year GW2 has earned 25% more income than the 7+ years of GW. I would say that the model is working. It doesn’t prevent them from doing an expansion either, but it will likely be after the China release.

uhmmm, you’re forgetting the 7 years of reputation GW1 made in order to get the number you’re talking about, without that GW2 would end up with less then half the income they currently have.

sorudo.9054:

uhmmm, you’re forgetting the 7 years of reputation GW1 made in order to get the number you’re talking about, without that GW2 would end up with less then half the income they currently have.

GW2 has yet to be released in China. That, the revenue from the Gem Store (A revenue source which GW1 lacked), and the fact that “reputation” of the game according to internet nerds rarely have impact on financial success of games, GW2 will easily push past GW1’s halfway mark given 7 total years.

sorudo.9054:

and even if we simply ignore all of that, they have, like you said, 300+ employees.
that’s at least 3X more then when they were making factions, so making an expansion would logically be made 3X faster.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks's_law

“9 women giving birth doesn’t make the process last only 1 month.”

Because there is no subscription fee.

If you want a different reward system in game, you need to pick a game with a different monetization scheme. The latter drives the former. Though, I’d note that ANet is fairly reasonable relative to many of their competitors (e.g., Neverwinter with its $40 mounts).

sorudo.9054:

uhmmm, you’re forgetting the 7 years of reputation GW1 made in order to get the number you’re talking about, without that GW2 would end up with less then half the income they currently have.

I never played GWs, I was always under the impression it was a PvP centric game and I abhor those. What I thought I knew about GW was actually a vote against GW2 for me.

I bought GW2 solely on the reviews about it’s PvE game and the fact you didn’t have to have played GW to enjoy it. Also it’s B2P aspect was attractive. I had just finished 8 years on a subscription game, dropping well over $1000 in it’s lifetime and I was looking for a game that was considerably less expensive but not nickel and dime me like F2P/hybrid games like DDO or STO.

Just because game needs to have cash flowing and get money to expand it.
This part is as it should be.

I’d say not enough is in the Gem Store.
Give me perma-trader/banker/merchant/trait reset/hairstylist/makeover available for purchase without RNG.

Kaon.7192:

I’d say not enough is in the Gem Store.
Give me perma-trader/banker/merchant/trait reset/hairstylist/makeover available for purchase without RNG.

They are, they’re on the TP minus the makeover and trait reset